AUTHOR ARCHIVES

Matt Vasilogambros

Matt Vasilogambros is a policy writer for National Journal, covering foreign affairs, the White House and Congress. He previously covered the 2012 presidential election and other federal elections for the National Journal and The Hotline. Before joining the company, Matt covered politics for PoliticsDaily.com, the Iowa Independent and the Huffington Post. Matt is a graduate of Drake University, where he served as editor-in-chief of the award-winning student newspaper. He is a native of Arlington Heights, Ill.

May 17, 2012
The United States has plans in place to strike Iran should U.S. leaders decide to use military force to prevent the country from developing a nuclear weapon, the Associated Press reports. Dan Shapiro, Washington’s envoy to Israel, told the Israel Bar Association on Thursday that the U.S. prefers using economic ...

May 16, 2012
Syrian rebel forces have begun receiving arms through coordinated efforts by the U.S. government and Persian Gulf nations, The Washington Post reported. Although the U.S. is neither directly supplying nor funding the arms, which include anti-tank weapons and other items, Washington has worked to help Gulf officials assess the needs ...

May 11, 2012
The U.S. launched its second airstrike in Yemen since foiling an al-Qaida bomb plot earlier this week, killing as many as seven militants, The Washington Post reported. New details have also emerged about the bomb plot, as officials confirmed that the informant was a British citizen. As an undercover agent, ...

May 10, 2012
The House Armed Services committee tucked a measure in the defense authorization bill on Wednesday that banned “marriage or marriage-like ceremonies” on military bases for same-sex couples, The Hill reports. The move came hours after President Obama said that he supported same-sex marriage in an interview with ABC News. The ...

May 4, 2012
The military tribunal for five of the men accused of planning and orchestrating the attacks on Sept. 11 is set to begin on Saturday, three years after an attempt to try the case in a civilian court, the Associated Press reported. One of the men is the self-proclaimed mastermind of ...

May 2, 2012
The Taliban announced that its "spring offensive" in Afghanistan will officially begin on Thursday, the Associated Press reported, but no details were released. The annual campaign comes on the heels of President Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan on Tuesday. After signing an agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the president ...

April 18, 2012
The Army has launched an investigation after the Los Angeles Times uncovered photos of U.S. soldiers posing with the dismembered bodies of dead Afghan suicide bombers. The photos were given to the newspaper by a soldier from the same division as those depicted in the photos. Before the release of ...

April 13, 2012
President Obama earned $789,674 in 2011, the White House announced on Friday. However, with this income, he does not even qualify for the so-called Buffett Rule that he has promoted relentlessly and the Senate will take up on Monday. The Buffett Rule calls for those making over $1 million a ...

April 3, 2012
President Obama is set to deliver one of his most pointed attacks against House Budget Chair Paul Ryan’s budget proposal, calling it “radical” and a “Trojan horse,” according to the Associated Press. The House approved the plan last week. In a speech the president is set to deliver on Tuesday ...

April 2, 2012
Five members of Osama bin Laden’s family have been jailed in Pakistan for illegally staying in the country, according to Reuters. The 45-day sentence, which is likely to translate to 14 days since they have been detained since March 3, will go to three of bin Laden’s widows and two ...